


divided we fall, by the hands of the ones we once trusted

by fallingforboys



Series: watch the wilted flowers stand tall again as we dare to dream [9]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Corey Bryant & Theo Raeken Friendship, F/M, Good Theo Raeken, Hurt Brett Talbot, Hurt Theo Raeken, M/M, McCall Pack, Puppy Pack (Teen Wolf), Scott messes up, Theo Raeken & Brett Talbot Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:01:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29060193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallingforboys/pseuds/fallingforboys
Summary: In all honesty, Brett should’ve known better.He was a born wolf for fuck’s sake, his senses should be flawless. And he should’ve picked up the bitter scent of wolfsbane mixed with the suffocating smell of triumph as he was out on his run. He should’ve.
Relationships: Alec/Lori Talbot, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Nolan/Brett Talbot, Scott McCall/Malia Tate
Series: watch the wilted flowers stand tall again as we dare to dream [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2107209
Comments: 17
Kudos: 85





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i apologize in advance for this one, it's a little heavy on the angst
> 
> but it's set before "and the flowers all grew, painting the field in technicolor" so keep that in mind when you read!

In all honesty, Brett should’ve known better.

He was a born wolf for fuck’s sake, his senses should be _flawless_. And he should’ve picked up the bitter scent of wolfsbane mixed with the suffocating smell of triumph as he was out on his run. He _should’ve_.

But he didn’t.

His head was too preoccupied, too caught up in thinking about how the pack had fallen apart. The McCall pack, the supposedly _indestructible_ pack with a _true alpha_ , had been torn to pieces. They hadn’t talked to each other in _days_ , though it felt more like months. Brett was used to daily hangouts at Scott’s house, movie nights on Fridays, and the intoxicating smell of _pack_ that always comforted him. 

But it was all gone. 

It had happened so fast, Brett had barely processed it when it did. It started with something so small, he never would have imagined that it would lead to something so big. Scott let a hunter that they had captured go. 

That was it. It seemed so _insignificant_ , given Scott’s forgiving nature, it seemed like something the true alpha would do. 

But Alec hadn’t taken it that way.

The hunter that was released was one that apparently had a hand in killing Alec’s family all those months ago, had murdered them in cold blood. And maybe this wouldn’t have been _as_ big of a deal if Scott didn’t know. 

But he did. 

Alec had stiffened as soon as he had seen the hunter, had whispered quietly to Theo how he knew him when the chimera noticed his tense shoulders, had stared at the hunter with a broken look on his face. And Brett didn’t know how Scott had looked at Alec and still managed to let the hunter go free, because all Brett had wanted to do was _kill_ after seeing the younger werewolf’s expression. Wanted to put the hunter through the same pain that Alec had been through, make him _suffer_. 

Theo and Lydia had both noticed that Alec wasn’t really okay with the alpha’s plan of freeing the hunter, taking Scott to the side and trying to explain to him that maybe this was one enemy they shouldn’t let go. But it was _Scott_ , the true alpha who saw the best in people, believed everyone deserved a second chance, and couldn't see it from Alec’s perspective. 

And Scott let him go. 

The next couple of days were normal, the pack had gotten information about the hunters from the one they captured, and had started planning. Everything was fine. 

But it _wasn’t_. 

It happened during one of the meetings with the whole pack, from Scott to Lori to Parrish, _everyone_ was there. Scott was looking at a map along with Argent, Derek, and Parrish, tracing a finger where the last group of hunters was known to be seen. The rest of the pack was all quietly conversing in their own little groups, taking a break from the hours of planning they had done already. Alec had been talking with the Puppy Pack, their conversation switching from one random topic to the next like the wind, because that’s just who they were. 

And everything was fine. Until Scott opened his mouth.

“I know he’s the enemy and everything, but that hunter we captured was pretty helpful.” It had been a joke, a lighthearted quip meant to lift their moods. But Scott had forgotten who that hunter was and what he did.

“You mean the hunter that murdered my parents, my older brother, and my younger sister, who was _two years old?_ That hunter?” Alec had said, his voice deadly calm, his face completely closed off. 

Everyone tensed, the mood dropping _instantly_ , a dark weight hanging in the room. 

“Wait, Alec, I didn’t mea-” Scott tried to say, but the younger werewolf didn’t let him finish.

“The hunter that stalked us for _two weeks_ , all because I recently got turned. The hunter that heard my parents plead not to kill them, but did it anyway, and _laughed_ after. The _hunter_ ,” Alec’s voice had been rising as he talked, and now he was _screaming_ , “that didn’t hesitate to kill my _entire_ family, even though they weren’t supernatural. The _hunter_ that _you_ had in your hands, and you _let go!_ ”

Pin-drop silence filled the room. Scott placed a hand on Alec’s shoulder, but he stepped back with a jerk, the alpha’s arm dropping in between them.

“Alec, I know what he did was wrong, but we couldn’t have _killed_ him. We’re not _like that_ ,” Scott said, his voice soft and gentle, but Alec’s eyes flashed.

“Right, I forgot you’re the _true alpha_ , so _righteous_ and _noble_. Can’t kill _anyone_ , even though they don’t seem to have the same problem.”

“Guys, let’s all just take a deep breath,” Stiles interjected, his eyes shifting nervously between Scott and Alec. “We can talk about this calmly.”

“What if it was your family?” Alec asked suddenly, ignoring Stiles. “ _What if_ that hunter had murdered _your_ mom in her sleep? Would you still have let him go, huh? Would you, _Scott?_ ”

Scott’s eyes flashed red, and Theo and Derek both stepped up to the two werewolves, ready to intervene if needed. Brett took a second and used his senses- everyone else in the room reeked of panic and shock, the scent suffocating in the McCall living room. 

“Alec-”

Theo was cut off by Alec’s growl. “Theo, _please_. Let me finish.” The chimera stared at him for a few moments, but eventually nodded. 

Alec turned back to Scott, who had regained control, but was still visibly mad at what the werewolf had said. “You _knew_ who that hunter was, you _knew_ what he did to me. And you didn’t _care_. All you cared about was figuring out where the rest of the _stupid_ hunters were,” Alec’s voice was hoarse from yelling, scratchy in a way that cut to the bone, put the rest of them on edge. They had never seen Alec like this before, and it frightened them. “You didn’t care about _me_.”

“That’s not true,” Scott said, annoyance flashing on his face at the accusation, “I care about you, letting that hunter go doesn’t mean I don’t care about you. We _had_ to let him go, Alec.”

He said it like it was something obvious, like he didn’t know why it was a topic of discussion, and Brett immediately knew it would rub Alec the wrong way. Like it would seem like Scott was talking _down_ to him. Because that’s exactly what it felt like to _Brett_ , who wasn’t even part of the conversation. Theo stiffened, and Brett knew that the chimera had felt it too. 

“No, you didn’t!” Alec snarled, his claws extending, and Lori, who had been standing next to him, squeaked at the sudden movement. “He murdered my _family_ , Scott! You didn’t _have_ to let him go-”

“They’re dead, Alec,” Malia cut in bluntly to defend her boyfriend. “You can’t bring them back, and I know it sucks but you can’t hold onto it forever. If we go around killing everyone that’s done something bad to us, we’d never be able to sit down.”

Alec let out a growl, and Brett saw it coming a second before it happened, and reached out to grab the werewolf, to hold him back from attacking the werecoyote. Theo had sensed it too, and the two of them each latched onto an arm, stopping him from jumping at Malia. Alec struggled in their grip, telling them to let him go, but they held on tight. 

Everyone else had jumped up when Alec attacked, and unease loitered in the room, bouncing off the walls, trapping them in its harsh scent. 

“Malia, that wasn’t necessary,” Liam said, glaring at the werecoyote, who had shifted when Alec leaped at her. 

“Yes, it _was_ ,” Malia answered, “We can’t kill every person who harmed us, and he needs to understand that.”

“Alec, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Scott started, giving his girlfriend a stern look before turning to the younger werewolf. “But the deal we made was that we’d let him go if he gave us information, and we _needed_ that information.”

Brett winced. Scott basically just admitted that information was more important to him than Alec. Okay, so maybe that wasn’t _exactly_ what he said, and a small part of his brain understood where the alpha was coming from, but Brett knew Alec. And he knew the Puppy Pack. What Scott just said had pushed every single one of them over to Alec’s side, if they weren’t completely on it already. 

“Okay,” Alec said quietly, shaking out of Theo and Brett’s grasp, and they let him. “It’s obvious that you cared about that information more than me, so I’m done. I’m leaving the pack.”

Gasps echoed around the room, everyone immediately talking over each other, trying to get Alec to stay. But the werewolf shrugged everyone off, gave Scott one last withering look, and walked out the door. 

All conversation stopped when the door slammed shut. Theo was the first to move.

“That was cold, Scott,” the chimera whispered, his eyes still glued to the door. “He didn’t deserve that.”

And the chimera walked out too. Slowly, the Puppy Pack filed out, following Theo’s lead, their expressions a mix of anger and shock. Scott may have been their alpha, but their bond was strong. Hurting _one_ of them felt like a personal attack on _all_ of them. 

Brett was the last one to leave, lifting his head to meet Scott’s stunned face. “If you cared, you would’ve _listened_. But you didn’t.”

And with those final words, he left the alpha’s house, getting inside Theo’s truck, where the rest of his pack was waiting for him. 

__________________________________

And now Brett was tied up to a fence, electricity coursing through him as he struggled to keep his eyes open. Blood dripped down his face, the metallic scent overwhelming his senses as he tried to listen for any other heartbeats. 

There were none.

Apparently, the hunters had decided that the wolfsbane already in his system was potent enough to kill him and had abandoned him. The warehouse was completely empty, a somber silence filling the air. And it reminded Brett of the ride to Mason’s house after they had walked out of the pack meeting.

The truck was quiet after Mason had told Theo to drive to his house, saying that he had enough space to accommodate all of them, because none of them really wanted to separate after what happened. Alec was turned to the window, and the rest of the pack didn’t know what to say.

“Alec-” Theo began, but the werewolf cut him off.

“Don’t.”

“No, Alec, _listen to me_ ,” Theo raised his voice, still looking at the road, but Brett could see from the rearview mirror that his eyes were hard. “We’re on _your_ side, okay? Don’t forget that.”

Alec finally turned away from the window at those words, his eyes shifting from person to person, as if he was verifying that what Theo had said was true. Brett knew that every single one of them was silently saying that it was. The young werewolf sighed, his head dropping. “I’m sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry for?” Lori retorted, her voice strained with fury. “This is completely on Scott, not you.”

“I made you leave the pack.”

“ _We’re_ pack,” Corey said gently, giving Alec a small smile. “No matter what, _we’re_ your pack.”

Alec hesitated, still not fully believing that they weren’t mad at him for what he did. “But Theo, that was your hom-”

“And it was yours too,” Theo interjected, as he pulled into Mason’s driveway. “It was all of ours, in a way, but what Scott said was _wrong_. There was no doubt in my mind about what I was going to do after seeing you walk out, Alec. I knew that I was going to follow you no matter what.”

The pack got out of the truck, heading into the large house. Mason explained that his parents were away on a cruise for their anniversary, and that they’d have the house to themselves for a while. Brett was grateful- as much as he was trying not to show it, the fight left him on edge, and he desperately needed the feeling of pack to calm him down. And he knew the others were in the same boat.

Mason sent Alec and Lori to the guest room, saying that Alec really needed to get some rest, and the two hadn’t even argued, just dragged their feet up the stairs. Five minutes later, their heartbeats were steady, falling asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows.

The rest of the pack stayed downstairs in the kitchen. They needed to talk about what happened, without Alec in the room.

“This is bad,” Liam noted bluntly, and the obvious statement cut a little bit of the tension in the room, the pack breaking down in quiet laughs. The situation wasn’t really that funny, but they were all a little skittish, and they needed _something_.

“We all agree that Scott was in the wrong though, right?” Nolan asked hesitantly, as if he was nervous that someone would disagree. 

But everyone in the room nodded, and the human let out a small breath of relief. He looked around at all of them. “What are we gonna do?”

Theo sighed heavily, massaging his temple lightly. “I don’t know. Obviously, we stay with Alec- he needs us right now, more than ever. But, we need to contact Scott too. I don’t know what’s going down over there right now, but it’s probably not pretty.”

The chimera looked exhausted, as if the day’s events had all just sunk in at this moment. Liam intertwined their fingers together, squeezing gently, and Theo’s shoulders relaxed a little.

“He’s right,” Brett broke the silence that had settled. “We need to talk to them. _Now_. We might not like him at the moment, but we can’t go radio silent.”

Liam pulled out his phone, ready to call the alpha, but Theo stopped him. “I’ll do it,” he stated firmly, and no one argued with him. The chimera put his phone to his ear, and Brett let out a breath when he heard Scott pick up. 

“Theo, thank god,” the alpha breathed out, concern evident in his voice, “Where are you guys?”

Theo’s eyes flickered around, silently asking if it was okay to reveal their location. At Mason’s slight nod, he answered. “Mason’s. But _don’t_ come here.”

“But I need to-”

“ _No_ ,” Theo hissed, some of his previous irritation leaking into his voice again, “What you _need_ to do is give him space. That was harsh, Scott. You _knew_ who that hunter was.”

“But we couldn’t kill him!” Scott yelled, and Brett heard voices in the background telling the alpha to calm down. “No, Lydia, I need them to understand where I’m coming from.”

“You didn’t have to kill him,” Theo said, his voice hard. “But you didn’t have to let him go free.”

“And what if we did that to you, huh?” Scott asked abruptly, anger dripping from every word. “You killed people, what if we-”

The rest of the pack inhaled sharply as he broke off suddenly, like he realized what he just said. “Wait, Theo-”

Theo’s eyes had gone cold at Scott’s words, his face completely stoic. “Clearly, you don’t want me or Alec around you anymore, so we’ll stay out of your way,” he stated with no emotion, but Brett _knew_ that he was tamping down on his hurt. “Bye, Scott.”

The chimera hung up the phone, placing it on the counter. He stared at it blankly, as if he didn’t know whether to believe what just happened. Liam pushed his shoulder so that he turned slightly, and wrapped his arms around the chimera’s waist.

“We’re with you. And Alec. We’re not leaving, we don’t leave our pack behind,” the beta said, as if he knew that Theo was sinking into his thoughts again. 

“How could Scott even…” Corey trailed off, and Mason put an arm on his shoulder. “You and Alec were basically his _brothers_.”

Theo’s head had dropped onto Liam’s shoulder, his eyes closed as he breathed in his anchor’s scent. “Doesn’t matter now. Maybe it never did.”

Theo’s words hung in the air of the silent kitchen, filling the room with the smoky scent of anguish and betrayal.

__________________________________

Brett was going to die. 

He had accepted it a few minutes ago, when he realized that he was completely alone and no one would come to save him. They didn’t know he was taken- he was out on a run, they probably assumed that he still was. And it’s not like the older pack had any contact with him for the last few days, they were even _less_ likely to come save him.

The wolfsbane was running through his bloodstream, weakening his body to the point where he could barely hear the birds outside. The soft hum of electricity, although contributing to his weakened state, brought him back to reality every few seconds, preventing him from losing consciousness completely. 

He didn’t even know where he was- the hunters had ambushed him and the next time he opened his eyes, he was in the warehouse, alone. 

So, Brett had accepted that he was going to die. But he didn’t _want_ to. He didn’t want the last time he saw the whole pack to be when they fought, splitting ways. He didn’t want the last time he saw the Puppy Pack to be this morning, the air tense as everyone avoided the elephant in the room when Alec and Theo came down. He didn’t want the last time he saw Nolan to be today. He wanted to wake up to Nolan’s face _everyday_ , wanted to feel the human’s arms wrapped around his waist as he snuggled deeper into his chest. He wanted to get married, maybe adopt a kid or two, and grow old with him. He was _eighteen_ , and he didn’t want to die like this. Before he got to live his life. 

But the sudden jolt of pain in his stomach shook him out of his thoughts, reminding him that he didn’t have a choice in the matter.

But suddenly, Brett heard voices. A sliver of hope burst in his chest when he recognized Theo’s, a distinct hiss that was so characteristic of his best friend. 

“Brett!” Theo yelled, but the werewolf didn’t have the energy to lift his head up. The chimera ran over, his claws immediately slicing at the bonds holding him hostage, and he angled his head back to yell at Liam, who was quickly making his way over to them. “Liam, we need the lighter, _now_. The wolfsbane needs to be burned out.”

The beta ran back outside, while Theo gently lay Brett on the ground, his hand wrapping around the werewolf’s wrist to siphon his pain. “Don’t you dare fucking die on me, asshole,” the chimera muttered as black lines slithered up his arm.

“I- I thought I was going to,” Brett whispered in a low voice, too weak to do anything more. “How did you even find me?”

“Stop talking,” Theo hissed, grabbing the lighter from Liam’s hand as he rushed over. Corey was the only one that followed the beta, and Brett assumed that the rest of the pack was still at home. “Your runs are usually an hour, and you were gone for an hour and ten. We knew something was wrong,” the chimera answered as he brought the lighter to Brett’s wound. “Liam, take his pain.”

The other werewolf immediately took Theo’s place, while the chimera mumbled a warning before igniting the lighter. Brett jerked, squeezing his eyes shut at the pain, and a cry left his lips when Theo brought the fire closer. 

A few minutes later, all the wolfsbane was burned out, and Brett was feeling _slightly_ better. The werewolf slumped against the fence, his head tilting back in exhaustion. “I thought I was as good as dead.”

Theo’s head snapped towards him, and he shifted closer to his best friend, so that their legs brushed. “You’re not,” he said, as he copied Brett’s position. Liam and Corey joined them on the floor, as they waited for the injured werewolf to regain at least some of his strength. 

Unfortunately for them, the universe never lets them rest. 

Voices filled their ears, and Theo, Liam, and Corey jumped up, standing in front of Brett. Scott burst through the warehouse door, his eyes widening as he took in the sight before turning back around as he fought a hunter. Derek, Malia, and Peter entered soon after, all caught up in their own battles. The hunters kept coming, a never ending stream of violence following.

“Corey, get Brett to the truck,” Theo said quickly, handing over his keys to the other chimera. “He can’t stay here.”

Corey grabbed his arm, helping him to his feet, but he didn’t follow Theo’s orders. Instead, he walked Brett over to one corner, turning them both invisible. “I’m not leaving Theo and Liam alone here,” Corey whispered, and Brett nodded, agreeing. And the two invisible supernaturals watched as Theo and Liam joined the fight.

The pair was _indestructible_ , but even they couldn’t stay fighting together the whole time. Liam’s attention was pulled in one direction by one hunter, while Theo ran to the other side of the building, helping Derek with the three hunters he was fighting. 

And maybe that was their downfall. 

Theo was running around, taking down hunters but not killing, his claws tearing through skin, but not too deep. Scott was surrounded by multiple hunters, he was the _true alpha_ , he was the threat. The alpha was quick, his eyes red as he fought. But with his attention focused on the hunters in front of him, he left his back vulnerable. 

The hunter was quick, Brett thought he was almost _supernaturally_ quick, and the werewolf’s eye caught the glint of a knife laced with wolfsbane making its way to Scott's back. He shouted out a warning along with Corey, but the alpha didn’t stop it in time. 

But Theo did. 

Right as the hunter was about to stab the alpha, Theo stepped in front of him. 

The only sounds Brett could hear was the squish of the knife penetrating Theo’s stomach and the chimera’s loud gasp as it did. 

“THEO!” Corey and Brett screamed, watching in horror as the chimera fell to his knees in front of the hunter. And Brett wasn’t up to his full strength yet, but a rush of adrenaline jump started his limbs, and he used the newfound energy to run over to Theo, Corey following close behind. 

Liam reached there first though, slashing the back of the hunter that stabbed Theo, and knocking him out with a hard punch. He dropped to his knees next to the chimera, and silence filled the warehouse as the last of the hunters was knocked unconscious by Peter. 

“Theo,” Liam said gently, his hands on either side of the chimera’s face. “Theo, c’mon, you’re okay.”

Scott was frozen in shock at the sight. He stood staring at the chimera as Brett and Corey finally reached Theo, quickly dropping down next to Liam. 

“Theo, you asshole, you just told me not to die,” Brett snarled, his hands going to the chimera’s arm to take his pain. “If you die right now, I’m gonna bring you back to life and kill you again.”

Theo let out a weak laugh, blood bubbling out of his mouth. “Okay, Brett.”

The older pack formed a circle around the fallen chimera, all with expressions of sorrow on their faces. 

“ _No_ , Theo, you’re not dying,” Corey cried, tears building in his eyes. “You _can’t_.”

Liam was on the verge of tears too, siphoning as much pain as he could, but the stab wound was _deep_. “Theo, _please_ , keep fighting it.”

Theo’s head was on Liam’s lap, and his eyes fell on Scott. “I’m sorry for killing, I really do wish I could change what I did, every single day,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m _sorry_.”

And before Scott could say anything, Theo turned his head to Brett, Liam, and Corey, trying to put a smile on his face, but it didn’t reach his eyes, and the blood on his face made it look more like a grimace. “Take care of Alec for me, okay?” he breathed out, and Liam exhaled sharply.

“ _No_ , you’re gonna be there to take care of him, Theo,” the beta growled. “You’re not dying.”

“ _Theo_ ,” Brett fumed, not able to hold his tears back anymore, “Don’t you dare fucking die on me.” The chimera’s mouth tilted up at the words he had said to his best friend not even ten minutes ago. 

“Take care of him, he deserves it…” Theo said, his voice trailing off as his eyes closed. 

“NO!” Liam screamed, his voice cracking. “Theo, _wake up_.”

“Liam, he still has a heartbeat, but we need to get him to the hospital right now,” Scott said gently, his voice filled with grief. 

Liam lifted Theo off the floor, carrying him as fast as he could to the truck. Brett and Corey stood up hastily, about to follow him, when Brett’s eye landed on the hunter that had stabbed Theo. 

It was the same one that Scott had let go. The one that had murdered Alec’s family.

A humorless smile made its way onto Brett’s face, as he stared down at the hunter’s closed eyes, before looking up at Scott, who had stilled when he realized who the hunter was.

The bitter irony twisted in Brett’s chest as he ran out to the truck. 

__________________________________

“Where is he?” Alec’s panicked voice filled the hallway, the werewolf running towards them, followed by Mason, Nolan, and Lori. 

Brett met the young werewolf’s eyes, and it made his heart twinge. “He’s in the room, but we can’t go in yet.”

Mason ran to Corey’s side, who was trying to comfort Liam. But the beta was a _wreck_ , and the chimera wasn’t having any luck.

“Are you okay?” Nolan asked Brett, grabbing his hand. “They went out searching for you because they thought something happened.”

“I’m fine,” Brett answered quickly. “The hunters left me alone, so they didn’t have to fight anyone, just burn the wolfsbane out.” Brett squeezed Nolan’s hand when the human gasped when he heard the poison. “I’m _fine_ , seriously. I’m worried about Theo.”

“What happened?” Alec’s voice was quiet, his head low as he stared at the ground. He had completely ignored the older pack members, not even looking at them once. 

“Stabbed, with a laced knife,” Corey mumbled, as if he didn’t want to think about the events that had occurred. And Brett was definitely on the same fucking page. “The hunter was aiming at Scott’s back.”

Alec’s head snapped up at the sound of the alpha’s name, and Brett let out a bitter laugh. He was past caring about Scott’s feelings, and he knew that what he was about to reveal would push Alec even further away from the alpha, but he was over it. Scott had hurt Theo too, and Brett was so _fucking_ done. Theo deserved better. “And you wanna know what’s even better? The hunter was the one that he let go.”

Liam and Corey exhaled sharply, because they hadn’t known either. Alec’s face turned to stone, his mouth tightening. “What?” he whispered, his voice strained with rage. “You _asshole_.” Alec’s head was turned to Scott.

“Theo got hurt saving _you_ , and I don’t even know _why_ he did, because the last thing you told him was that maybe you should’ve kept him hostage,” Alec hissed, and Brett’s eyes widened. If Alec knew what Scott had said, that meant he _hadn’t_ been sleeping that night, and one glance at the rest of the Puppy Pack confirmed that they were just as shocked. “And the hunter that was about to stab you was the one you _let go?_ You _fucking_ asshole.”

The young werewolf pushed off the wall he was leaning against, making his way to the door to Theo’s room. “ _Fuck you_ , Scott.” He opened the door and went in, ignoring the protests that he wasn’t allowed to yet. The door shut quietly, but the sound was deafening in the silent hallway. 

“Guys-” Scott started, but Brett stood up. But it was a little too fast for his injuries, and he stumbled, before Nolan caught him. 

“If he dies,” Brett said softly, but the emotion in his voice was too much to hold back, “It’ll be your fault.”

And he turned around and followed Alec into Theo’s room. A few moments later, the rest of the Puppy Pack entered, solemn expressions on their faces as they took in the chimera on the hospital bed. Theo’s breath was steady, but his eyes stayed closed as the heart monitor beeped in the corner. 

Liam pulled up a chair to sit next to the chimera’s bed, running a hand through Theo’s hair gently. “C’mon, Theo, wake up. We’re all here for you.”

The silence after was louder than anything Brett had ever heard.

__________________________________

Theo wasn’t dead.

A few hours after they had entered the room, his eyes had opened, causing chaos to ensue as they all jerked up in surprise. The next ten minutes were emotional, everyone crying as they realized that Theo almost _died_. 

But Alec couldn’t let go of the fact that Theo had almost died for _Scott_.

“Why the fuck did you run in front of Scott?” Alec snarled, and Theo looked taken aback until he realized that the others had probably filled him in on what happened.

“Because he’s still our alpha,” the chimera responded weakly, and Liam immediately noticed his discomfort and started to take his pain. “And our _brother_. He messed up, but he can’t die. He’s the true alpha.”

“And what about you?” Liam fumed, his eyes flashing angrily. “You thought it’d be okay if _you_ died?”

“I didn’t want to die, Liam,” Theo whispered, turning his head to look at the beta. “I didn’t want to die.”

The words struck a chord inside Brett. Because he had thought those exact same words when he thought _he_ was about to die a few hours ago. And _something_ pushed in on his heart at hearing his best friend say them. Because they didn’t deserve to have to worry about _dying_ when they were barely out of high school. It wasn’t _fair_. 

Theo drifted off to sleep again soon after, and the Puppy Pack stayed in the room, not wanting to leave him alone. But a couple of hours later, there was a knock on the door. And Brett, along with the rest of the pack, stiffened when they realized who it was.

“No,” Alec said bluntly, not even letting Scott speak. 

“Alec, _please_ , I need to talk to you,” the alpha pleaded, opening the door a little more to reveal Stiles, Malia, Derek, and Lydia. “Just hear me out, and you can kick me out after.”

“No-”

“Alec.” Everyone’s heads whipped around at Theo’s voice, frail and rough from sleep. “Let him talk.”

The young werewolf let out a frustrated sigh, before slumping into his chair again. Scott and the other older members made their way into the room, which was now a little too crowded for Brett’s liking, but he wasn’t about to _leave_.

“I’m sorry,” Scott said, and cut Alec off when he started to talk. “I know that’s not enough, I know it won’t make everything okay, but I need to say it. I’m so fucking sorry, Alec. And Theo,” the alpha blurted out, turning to the chimera.

Scott let out a quiet breath, squeezing his eyes shut for a second before opening them to look at Alec. “What I said that day, I didn’t mean it. But I know how it sounded to you, thanks to them,” he gestured at Lydia and Stiles, “and I understand why you got mad. I care about you more than some information, and I should’ve shown you that properly. I… I was wrong. Wrong about the hunter, wrong about letting him go. I should’ve listened to Theo when he told me not to.” The alpha angled his head towards Theo. “And what I said that night, it was out of anger and frustration, but that doesn’t justify it.”

Theo tried to interrupt, but Scott didn’t let him. “You’re not that Theo anymore, and I shouldn’t have brought it up. _Ever_. You don’t deserve that, and I’m sorry.”

The room was quiet as everyone took in Scott’s apology. Theo was the first to speak. “I can’t speak for Alec, but I already forgave you. You don’t have to apologize to me.”

“Yes, I do,” Scott pressed, his eyes narrowing at the chimera. “I was wrong, and what I did was not okay.”

Theo looked like he wanted to argue, but he snapped his mouth shut at Scott’s glare, and turned to Alec instead. Brett twisted to look at the young werewolf too. His mouth was in a straight line, mullish as he contemplated Scott’s words. But eventually, he talked. “I don’t know if I’m ready to forgive you yet, especially when the hunter was the same one that stabbed Theo. But… I accept your apology.”

Brett knew that was as good as Scott was gonna get, at least for right now. Alec was right- forgiving the alpha would take a while because of what the hunter did to Theo. Scott seemed to understand, because he nodded once, his expression still a little sad. 

The silence dragged on, no one knowing what to say. The awkwardness was _suffocating-_ this was their _pack_ , but here they were, uncomfortable as if they were strangers. 

“So… did Isaac and Cora get together yet?” 

Theo’s abrupt question broke the tension, Derek rolling his eyes as Stiles let out a frustrated _no_. The mood in the room got a bit lighter, and Brett appreciated Theo’s quick-thinking. 

The pack still wasn’t fully united, and it would take some healing and time to get there, but Brett knew that they’d get there eventually. 

They always would. 


	2. Chapter 2

The front door slammed closed after Brett, and the room was completely still. No one dared to move, dared to acknowledge what had just happened. If they could even _process_ it.

“Scott,” Argent began, taking in the devastated look on the alpha’s face. 

“They left,” Scott whispered, collapsing onto the couch. “I made them _leave_.”

Malia immediately grabbed his hand, dropping down next to him. “They can’t actually leave, Theo and Alec both _live_ here. They’ll come back eventually.”

“Based on what just happened, I don’t think Alec’s gonna want to come back right now,” Isaac said bluntly, and Cora smacked his arm. The werewolf yelped. “I’m just saying, we all know it’s the truth.”

“Let’s break this down, okay?” Stiles interjected, his logical side taking over as he gave Scott a weary look. “Alec’s mad that you let the hunter go, but how did that make the _entire_ Puppy Pack side with him?”

“They’ll always choose each other,” Lydia answered, her head tilted in thought. “But it’s more than that. Maybe it was that for a little bit, but after what you said, it was like they all _felt_ Alec’s pain.”

“After what I said?” Scott asked, his voice quiet as he tried to come to terms with the fact that half of his pack just walked out on him, because of _him_.

“You said ‘letting that hunter go doesn’t mean I don’t care about you, but we _had_ to let him go,’” the banshee said, taking a seat in one of the chairs that had been abandoned by the ones that had left. “Brett and Theo _flinched_ when you said that. Liam’s eyes flashed, and the rest of them didn’t look so happy either.”

“But what he said wasn’t even that bad,” Malia stated in a flat voice, “I don’t see the problem.”

“It sounded like you were talking _down_ to Alec,” Stiles picked up the explanation, and Scott had never been more grateful to have him and Lydia– they clearly understood more than the alpha ever would. “Like you were saying ‘this is so obvious, and you sound childish trying to argue with it.’ Like you were treating him like a misbehaving child who was trying to talk with the adults, like–”

“Like you didn’t care.” Derek’s voice was hard, but he had a slightly sympathetic expression on his face as he looked at Scott. “You heard what Brett said. That you didn’t care.”

“I _do_ ,” Scott breathed out angrily, and for the first time in a while, his control slipped just a bit, his claws extending a centimeter. “But I couldn’t just kill the hunter, and we needed that information. It was a win-win, we’d know where to find the other hunters, and another person wouldn’t have to die.”

“Yeah, well for Alec, that sounds like you care more about the information than him,” Stiles declared, and raised his hands immediately after, hastily blurting out the next words. “I’m not saying that’s true! And I’m not saying that getting the information was a bad idea, either. But from Alec’s point of view, that’s what it looks like.”

Just as Scott was about to answer, his phone buzzed. Theo’s contact picture caused hope to bloom in his chest, and he immediately picked up, breathing out a relieved, “Theo, thank god. Where are you guys?”

There was a moment of silence on the other side of the call, and Scott could tell the chimera was silently asking the rest of the pack if he should tell him. Hurt stabbed at his heart. But then Theo answered. “Mason’s. But _don’t_ come here.”

Scott was taken aback. “But I need to–”

He was cut off with a hiss. “ _No_. What you need to do is give him space. That was harsh, Scott. You _knew_ who that hunter was.”

The alpha was starting to get angry. Why wasn’t anyone understanding that he wasn’t going to kill someone, no matter what they did? “But we couldn’t kill him!”

“Scott, calm down,” Lydia said quietly, the others agreeing with her, but Scott didn’t want to calm down. He wanted them to _understand_.

“No, Lydia, I need them to understand where I’m coming from.”

“You didn’t have to kill him,” Theo’s voice in his ear was bitter, and it shocked him. “But you didn’t have to let him go free.”

“And what if we did that to you, huh?” Scott’s mouth was moving on its own, spilling out words that he wasn’t processing before saying. All he knew was that he was _mad_. “You killed people, what if we–”

_Oh my god_. The words he had just said hit Scott like a bullet, cutting him off. “Wait, Theo–”

The coldness in Theo’s voice sent a chill down Scott’s spine. The alpha hadn’t heard the chimera like this in _months_ , and he had forgotten how frightening it was. “Clearly, you don’t want me or Alec around you anymore, so we’ll stay out of your way. Bye, Scott.”

The call ended, and Scott was left staring at the black screen, _bye, Scott_ echoing in his head. It had sounded so _dismissive_ , so _final_. The room was quiet, but Scott could smell everyone’s surprise and indignation, and he _knew_ that it was aimed at _him_.

“What the fuck, Scott?” Stiles demanded, and the irony of his best friend being the first to defend the same chimera that he had hated not that long ago hit Scott like a train. But then again, he would’ve defended Theo, too. But now, it was _him_ that he needed to protect Theo from. “Why the fuck would you say that? Theo was giving you an olive branch, you _know_ that they aren’t happy with you right now, but they _still_ called. And you go and bring _that_ up?”

“ _Fuck_ ,” Scott breathed out, as he finally dropped his phone next to him. “Fuck, fuck, _fuck_. I screwed up, holy _shit,_ I can’t believe I just said that.”

Malia was trying to calm him down, rubbing circles on his hand with her thumb, but it wasn’t working. Scott messed up, _bad_. He had just pushed away not one, but _both_ of his adoptive brothers.

“You need to apologize,” Argent said sternly, and Scott winced at his tone. The former hunter had gotten close to both Theo and Alec since they had moved in, and he was clearly _pissed_ at what Scott had done. The alpha nodded hastily in agreement, and was about to respond when the front door suddenly opened. 

“Hey, where’s Alec?” Melissa asked, putting her keys back into her bag as she walked in. “I picked up those chips that he’s been asking for, he’s been kinda sad the last few days.”

No one answered, and Melissa finally seemed to catch onto the somber mood. “What happened?” she looked around, noticing the absence of a certain group of people. “Where are the puppies?”

Dark silence hung in the room, leaving a pungent taste in Scott’s mouth.

__________________________________

They hadn’t talked in _days._ Theo and Alec never came back, not that night, not the next day either. Scott and the rest of the older pack had all tried to contact them, but they were radio silent. No calls, no texts, _nothing_. 

Melissa had been _furious_ when she found out what happened, screaming at Scott for fifteen minutes. The alpha hadn’t even tried to defend himself– it _was_ his fault, and he deserved it. And she was the only person that had been able to make contact with the other pack. Theo had ignored everyone else, but he gave short one-worded answers to the nurse’s texts. It wasn’t about anything that had happened– just Melissa checking in to make sure the pack was doing okay. They were all still at Mason’s, none of them going back to their own houses since that night. And it clawed at Scott’s heart that no one had noticed except for Liam’s parents– because the rest of them didn’t have anyone else. Just themselves and the pack. And Scott had gone and fucked that up too.

Pack meetings were always tense now, everyone uneasily trying to avoid the heavy shadow that hung over them as they planned. And it drained Scott. Part of his strength and energy came from his _pack_ , which was now torn apart. Because of _him_. 

But everything came to a head when Scott and the others finally tracked the hunters, tracing them to a warehouse on the other side of town. Seeing Brett, Liam, Theo, and Corey after a few days had surprised him, but he didn’t have time to focus on it for too long, too caught up in the hunters that kept coming. 

He didn’t notice what had happened until he heard Theo’s gasp and the sound of the chimera falling onto his knees. Knocking out the hunter he was fighting, he whipped around to see a knife lodged in Theo’s stomach, and he froze.

He stayed frozen as he heard Brett and Corey _scream_ and it was pure _agony_ , stayed frozen as he watched Liam take out the hunter, stayed frozen as all three of them quickly surrounded the fallen chimera, trying to keep him awake.

He stayed frozen, because the same person that shouldn’t have any reason to save him just did. 

“ _No_ , Theo, you’re not dying. You _can’t_ ,” Corey cried, and it pressed in on Scott’s chest. 

Liam kept pleading, but the chimera’s gaze landed on _him_. “I’m sorry for killing, I really do wish I could change what I did, every single day,” Theo whispered. “I’m _sorry_ ,” and Scott’s heart _shattered_.

He opened his mouth, but Theo turned away, looking at the three people who were next to him, their eyes wet with tears. “Take care of Alec for me, okay?”

Liam immediately protested, but Scott stopped listening. _Take care of Alec, take care of Alec, take care of Alec_. Because he didn’t trust Scott to do it anymore. And the alpha couldn’t even blame him. 

“Take care of him, he deserves it…” Theo’s voice trailed off, and his eyes closed. 

“NO!” Liam’s scream was so _raw_ , so _heartbreaking_. 

Scott shook out of his daze, using his senses to search for a heartbeat, and a sigh of relief escaped from his mouth when he heard one. He told Liam that they needed to get to the hospital, and the words were barely out of his mouth before the beta was lifting the chimera into his arms and running off. Corey followed him quickly, and Brett was about to, but his eyes landed on the hunter that stabbed Theo. Scott’s gaze followed his gaze and he stilled.

He saw a bitter smile stretch Brett’s lips, because that was the hunter that Scott had let go. The one that had murdered Alec’s family. The one Theo had told him _not to let go_. The one that Scott had let go anyway. The one that had just stabbed Theo. The one that may have just _killed_ Theo. 

Brett left, but Scott stood, frozen in place as he stared at the body. Eventually, he felt Malia’s hand on his arm, dragging him out of the warehouse, but his mind was still stuck, replaying Brett’s twisted smile, Theo’s whispered apology, Liam’s _broken_ cry. They played like a movie, over and over in his head as they drove to the hospital. 

Over and over and _over_.

__________________________________

It still wasn’t perfect, even though Scott had apologized, and they had accepted it. 

The pack was still on edge, and sometimes, Scott would catch Alec sinking into his thoughts, his eyes flashing, until Lori or Theo or Brett or _someone_ from the Puppy Pack pulled him out with a touch or a quiet whisper. And sometimes, Theo would absentmindedly touch his stomach, _where he got stabbed_ , and the motion would make the Puppy Pack flinch, one or more of them shifting slightly so that they brushed Theo’s arm or leg or _something_. 

They were a close-knit group before, but what had happened deepened their bond even _more_. To the point where they didn’t even have to talk to communicate with each other, didn’t have to say a _word_. Alec would suddenly stiffen, either from hearing Scott’s voice saying _hunter_ or from something else, and they would _immediately_ drag him outside, sometimes coming back in after, but most of the time not. Melissa would be cooking in the kitchen, cutting through some meat, and Brett, Corey, and Liam would freeze. Scott didn’t have to think too hard on why. Their eyes would snap to Theo, and only after seeing that he was okay, laughing at a joke that Mason had made did they relax, their shoulders dropping in exhaustion and relief. 

So, it wasn’t the same. The older pack tried to bring them into the conversation, involve them in the silly games they played on days when pack meetings got too boring and they needed a break. But it was hard. It was like the Puppy Pack had closed off, putting up walls and fences around themselves, blocking out everyone else. 

Until everything changed. 

Alec and Theo were back at the McCall house, although they had stayed at Mason’s for a few days after the stabbing incident. They were the only ones in the house– Melissa and Argent were at the hospital, while Scott was at Stiles’. 

But Scott eventually came back, only to find Theo’s truck not there, and one listen confirmed that Alec was the only one in the house. He quietly entered, trying not to startle the young werewolf, letting him get used to his scent and presence slowly. 

Soon, Alec walked downstairs, entering the kitchen, where Scott was casually scrolling through his phone. The young werewolf stiffened a little when his eyes landed on the alpha, but he ignored him as he went to grab a snack. 

“Alec,” Scott started, his voice pleading, and the younger boy tensed. “I’m _sorry_ about the hunter, it was my fault.”

And Alec didn’t say anything. But his shoulders were so rigid that it worried Scott, and he walked over to him to ask what was wrong, when Alec quickly whipped around and stared at him with wide eyes. 

He was struggling to breathe, his mouth opening and closing erratically, and his heartbeat was quickly climbing, and Scott was _scared_. 

“Alec, Alec, listen to me,” Scott rushed out, because he was friends with Stiles growing up, he _knew_ what a panic attack was. “Alec, you need to _breathe_.”

Alec tried, his chest rising and falling in short bursts, but he slammed back into the wall behind him, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor, his legs bent at the knees. Scott followed him hastily, saying _breathe, Alec, breathe_ like a mantra, hoping the werewolf would listen. 

Scott placed both his hands on Alec’s shoulders, hoping the touch would ground him, and to his surprise, it _worked_. Some of the tension in the younger boy’s posture left, and he was breathing heavily. Slowly, Scott rubbed circles into the boy’s shoulders, keeping his eyes glued to Alec’s face in case something else happened. But eventually, his heartbeat slowed, dropping back down to normal, and Alec tilted his head back, resting it against the wall. 

“Alec–”

Scott didn’t even finish saying his name before Alec broke down, tears running down his cheeks. The alpha’s heart twinged, guilt rolling in his stomach, and he quickly shifted to wrap him in a hug. 

He could feel tears staining his shirt as Alec sobbed into it, and Scott squeezed tighter, his chest constricting. 

And he just held on, not letting go of the young werewolf.

__________________________________

And things got better.

Alec slowly stopped stiffening when Scott was in the room, even smiling when the alpha made one of his dumb jokes that made Stiles teasingly comment that he’d made a great dad. The sound of a knife didn’t make the rest of the pack jump anymore, especially since Theo started cooking more and more. The Puppy Pack began to open up, breaking down some of the walls they had built, and Scott’s heart burst with happiness the first time he saw Corey smile at him– something he hadn’t done in _weeks_. 

Brett took a little longer to come around, and Scott could understand why. Theo had explained what had happened at the warehouse before they came, how the tall werewolf was captured and poisoned, left to die, and probably would’ve if Theo hadn’t noticed something was wrong so quickly. Brett was on the verge of _death_ when Theo saved him, and ten minutes later, he had to watch _Theo_ almost die. And so Scott could understand why the werewolf wasn’t eager to forgive him yet. But Scott needed to talk to him, desperately wanted him to know that he was _sorry_ for what he did, what he had caused. Because he was the only one that had seen Brett’s sardonic smile that day, had seen the irony hit Brett like a bullet, had seen the vacant look in his eyes as he looked at Scott. 

“Brett, I–”

“Don’t apologize,” the werewolf cut him off, taking a small sip of his drink as he leaned against the porch railing. Everyone else was inside, and Scott had seen Brett tell Theo and Nolan that he was going out for a bit, shaking his head when they asked if he wanted company, and the alpha took the opportunity to follow him. “Just… don’t.”

“I just–”

“Do you know what Theo’s face looked like after that phone call that night?” Brett interjected, his eyes glazed over as he stared into the street. “His eyes were _empty_ , like every emotion he had was sucked out of him. Do you know what it felt like to see him like that?"

Scott flinched, the words cutting into him just like Brett had intended. The tall werewolf turned his head towards the window, where Theo’s face was visible, just in the corner, and let out a short breath. “I don’t know how he does it, how _any_ of them do it, because all I see when I close my eyes is Theo falling to his knees, with a knife in his stomach. All I _hear_ , is the sound his body made when it crashed to the floor. And _then_ , all I see is that hunter’s face, his eyes closed, and he almost looked _peaceful_ , and who was he to get that peace? Why was he allowed that comfort, when he _killed_ Alec’s family? When he _stabbed_ Theo?”

Brett’s voice broke on the last question, and he squeezed his eyes shut, like he was trying to get rid of the mental picture that he had just painted. His eyes flickered to Scott, who was trying not to show how affected he was by Brett’s words. “So, don’t apologize. It won’t take back what happened because of what _you_ did.”

“I know it won’t,” Scott blurted out, copying Brett’s position on the railing. “It won’t change what happened, and it won’t fix anything. And I know what happened at the warehouse before, and I know _why_ you can’t forgive me yet. And I _get it_ ,” he said, angling his head towards the other werewolf, whose eyes had flashed at the mention of the warehouse. “Theo saved you that day, if he hadn’t realized in time, you would’ve died. But he _did_ , because it’s Theo, and he’s your best friend, and he knows everything about you. And then he got stabbed.”

Scott sighed. “And it was my fault. So, I get why you’re still mad, and I’m not gonna force you to forgive me, because that’s not fair to you,” he placed a hand on Brett’s shoulder, and the werewolf stiffened for a second before relaxing again. “Take as much time as you need. If you need space, I’ll give it to you. If you want to stick with the Puppy Pack during pack meetings and when we’re hanging out, I won’t force you to join us. But just know that I regret what I did that day and I probably will for the rest of my life, and whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here.”

“Whenever you’re ready,” Scott repeated, before turning to walk back into the house. He hadn’t been lying to Brett– he’d give the werewolf as much time and space as he needed. And hopefully, someday, things could go back to the way they were before. 

_Someday_.


End file.
